Fery, C., Pietroluongo, G., Tsimpidis, T. Influence of environmental factors on the spatial distribution of the short-beaked common dolphin (D.delphis) in the Eastern Aegean Sea. European Cetacean Society 32nd Conference 2018.

Introduction:

For the past several years, cetacean vulnerability have dramatically increased (Notarbartolo di Sciara & Gordon, 1997) due to anthropogenic impacts in the Mediterranean Sea (habitat degradation, interactions with fishing activities, pollution, marine traffic and overfishing). The increase in the loss of cetacean habitat (Notarbartolo di Sciara, 2002) has already led to a decline in their populations. The short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List (Bearzi et al., 2003) and hence the subject of conservation priorities for the entire Mediterranean Sea (Frantzis et al., 2003). ACCOBAMS recommends an increase in the intensity of studies in order to identify critical habitats with physical and biological features essential for the conservation of the species. Detailed areal distribution studies can provide essential information (Guisan & Zimmermann, 2000).